Ramadhan arrives, evasive on targets
Newly appointed Mighty Mukuru Wanderers head coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan yesterday evaded the issue of targets set by the club’s president Thomson Mpinganjira to win the TNM Super League and two cups.
Asked to comment on the targets during a press conference at Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre soon after his arrival yesterday to take up his new role, the Burundian tactician shook his head and said: “I am not here to lose happiness because when you lose, you are not happy.
“It is not a matter of I, but we. When you go into the bush [to hunt] and you come back empty-handed, how will your family look at you?” The former FCB Nyasa Bullets coach also said money was not a motivation when he was offered the job.
Said Ramadhan: “I am not here because of money, where I am coming from, I was getting good money. “I am here because an angel came to me and said go and assist the nation.”
He stressed that the task to revive the team will only succeed if all the stakeholders pull in the same direction. Said the coach: “We might have a good team, but if there is no peace, unity and discipline, things won’t work. We all need to pull in the same direction.
“We all want happiness and we can only achieve success through unity and love. Nobody goes into a match to lose, so let’s respect each other.”
Ramadhan also said he is happy with the team and there will be no reinforcements. He said: “I have been following Wanderers and [the immediate- past] coach [Mark ] Harrison did a good job, only that there was a psychological problem.
“They finished third [in the league] last season and we need to continue going up.” Ramadhan, however, admitted that turning around the fortunes at Lali Lubani Road will not be easy.
He also said he is not in the country to compete with his former team Bullets’ coach Kallisto Pasuwa “or anyone”. The coach, who has been offered a one-year contract, thanked Mpinganjira and the entire Nomads board for their trust and confidence in him.
Appearing relaxed, the former Flames caretaker coach, who has had stints with a number of clubs on the continent, was accorded a hearty welcome at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre, complete with police escort as he was driven to the hotel in an open vehicle.
Clad in a traditional African attire, blue pair of trousers and a cap, he waved at cheering fans along the way. Nomads board member Andrex Kalinde, who represented Mpinganjira, pledged support for the coach.
“For us, this is a big day in the Nomads family because the coach we have been waiting for is finally here,” he said. Kalinde also appealed to the fans to maintain discipline and remain United.
“Things didn’t work out last season, but let us forget the past and focus on the future,” he said. Ramadhan was coaching Tanzania Premier League side Ihefu.
